


Tears

by itbeajen



Series: 30 Days with Raha [22]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Angst, Established Relationship, F/M, Female Warrrior of Light, Fluff, Reader-Insert, Tension, Tumblr: FFXIVwrite2020, Unnamed Warrior of Light - Freeform, injuries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-23
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:13:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26611225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itbeajen/pseuds/itbeajen
Summary: Sometimes, when he sees you injured, he speaks without thinking.
Relationships: G'raha Tia | Crystal Exarch/Reader, G'raha Tia | Crystal Exarch/Warrior of Light
Series: 30 Days with Raha [22]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1906222
Kudos: 27
Collections: #FFxivWrite2020 Final Fantasy 30 Day Writing Challenge





	Tears

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt #22 for FFXIV Write 2020  
> Argy bargy /ˈɑr giˈbɑr gi/  
> Noun  
> a vigorous discussion or dispute.

“Raha… why do you look so upset today?”

G’raha’s ears flicked to the side in irritation and Krile sighed, “Did something happen between you and [Name]?”

The mere mention of your name, which would normally just bring a smile on his face, made the shadows on his face darken even more. His tail swished erratically in irritation and she softly asked, “Would you like to talk about it?”

She hears him take in a deep breath as his pen movements come to a stop. He slowly placed it down and muttered, “We… had recently gotten into a rather heated discussion about her more recent endeavors to the First. When she had returned home to us, she came back with more bruises and scrapes than I remember her leaving with. I have been… trying to tell her to be more careful and not to be so reckless, and the discussion escalated from there.”

G’raha’s voice weakly trailed off, and Krile could tell that the discussion did not end well. She does share the same concerns that G’raha has for their dear friend. After all, being lauded with so many titles and having to be held up to such a high standard would get tiring for any normal person. G’raha slumped in his chair and covered his eyes with his arm for a bit. 

Krile could tell that whatever it was that he had ended up saying last night was eating him up from within. G’raha let out a deep sigh and dropped his arms to his lap and he mumbled, “My choice of words were perhaps not the best choice, but [Name] had gotten so upset that she had teleported right out of the house.”

G’raha glanced at the pages before him and he shook his head, “I find it very difficult for me to focus on anything at all today. How can I when all I can think about is how hurt she was?” He bit his lower lip and Krile got off her seat to gently pat his arm. He glanced down at his close friend and she smiled, “I am sure she isn’t as mad as you as you may believe she is. The fatigue and exhaustion from her expedition may have just caused her temper and patience to be short. Do not destroy yourself over these thoughts, I am sure [Name] would not want you to either.”

As Krile returned to her seat, G’raha could only sigh once more before pulling himself together. There is nothing I can do right now except finish my work early and talk to [Name] as quickly as possible.

***

“[Name]? You’re back so soon?” 

Ryne’s voice was soft and welcoming, a contrast to the harsh truth that G’raha had said the night before. You weakly nodded and Ryne gasped as she finally took a look at you. 

“You- You’re still injured! Come here, please let me take care of your injuries.” She gently takes your hand into hers and leads you to the infirmary. She would have taken you to the Pendants, but you had suddenly come out of the Crystal Tower and was slowly walking down the steps of the Dossal Gate towards the Exodus. It was rather empty in the area and the last thing she wanted was for people to become concerned upon seeing you all scratched up and bruised. 

As Ryne treated your injuries, you sighed as you mulled over the conversation you had with G’raha. His worries and concerns about how far you pushed yourself were legitimate, he had every right to be worried for you. After all, even you knew how much you were pushing yourself. But how could you not stop yourself from working so hard after all the failures you’ve had before? 

You subconsciously clench your fist from just remembering your past failures. How many people dear to you did you lose? How many times did your heart shatter and break into pieces, but you were forced to hold back your tears and emotions just to continue on towards the end goal - the bigger picture? You feel tears gather at the corners of your eyes and Ryne softly breaks the silence, “You can let it out if you need to, [Name].”

The tears that silently fell were a result of accepting your weakness for what it is, and accepting that what was going on was simply going to be that. There was nothing wrong with you feeling hurt over your past mistakes, but it would do you no good to put yourself through unnecessary pain and suffering to hasten your improvement period. It wasn’t as though you would be able to bring back the dead through your suffering after all.

Once the tears dried, Ryne softly squeezed your hand and asked, “Are you feeling better?”

“Yes.” Your response was soft, and the exhaustion was evident in your voice. Ryne sat down beside you, still holding your hand and softly rubbing the back of your hand. “What happened after you went back?”

“It’s… kind of embarrassing,” you admitted weakly and Ryne smiled, “That’s fine. I am more than happy to listen. Even.. Even if I can’t help, I would like to think that talking about it would help you at the least.”

***

G’raha was disappointed upon arriving home. The lights were completely off, and he could tell that you haven’t been home at all last night. He heaved a sigh before going to wash up and probably make a quick dinner. He really wasn’t in the mood to eat, not after getting in that argument with you last night about your recklessness. But he knew that if he didn’t eat, it was likely that he’d get nagged at by Krile, or maybe even you, for neglecting his health. 

He quickly washed up, haphazardly draping the towel atop his head as he made his way upstairs to work on dinner. Even if he didn’t know whether or not you were planning on coming home, at the very least, he could make you dinner. 

At least, those were his thoughts as he walked upstairs. He was stunned to smell the aroma of bacon bread and he rushed up the steps to find you making some hot cocoa while softly humming to yourself. He has the urge to run up to you and hug you from behind, yet at the same time he wonders if you would be okay with that. Would you be okay with him coming up to you after what happened last night?

You reached up for the cupboard to grab two mugs, but as soon as you did, you spotted G’raha out of the corner of your eye. His hands were clenched into fists and he couldn’t really make eye contact with you. With a wave of your hand, the small flame heating up the small pot of milk is extinguished and you slowly place the two mugs on the counter and softly call out his name.

“Raha.”

Your lips were trembling, and he took one step, two steps, each step was careful and hesitant and he softly asked, “Are you… are you alright?” 

You were completely healed of your scratches and bruises, and you seemed like you’ve taken better care of yourself since he’s last seen you. He figures you must have gone back to the First, after all, it’s the one place where no one else from the Source could reach you. 

“I.. I am,” you hesitated and took a step towards him and softly asked, “Are you mad at me?”

“No!” G’raha shook his head and his entire body was tight with tension and he let out a deep breath. “I’m not upset with you, I was just worried, very much so. You returned home battered and bruised, how could I have not been worried for you? I had… unjustly accused you of being reckless before I had even heard your side of the story. I apologize for my rash behavior and harsh words.”

“N-No, you… were not wrong that I was being reckless. I… I was reminded how powerless I am sometimes during my expedition to the First,” you whispered your explanation. You could feel your insecurities rise. They were the same haunting thoughts that would occasionally take over your entire thoughts and mind and cause you to feel absolutely sick to the stomach, or turn your dreams into living nightmares. You hold yourself tight enough to leave marks on yourself after, and you continued, “I wanted to get stronger faster. I wanted to be able to protect people and prevent any more unnecessary bloodshed. I… I truly just wanted to be better than the past me who had failed one of my dearest friends and I… I just didn’t want to repeat those mistakes.”

You lower your head and you don’t realize you’re trembling again. 

“I’m so sorry I lashed out at you when you were just worried, I-” 

Your words fall short when G’raha pulls you into his embrace. He holds you close and gently rubs your back in soothing motions in hopes to help you calm down, and it does. He smells like the lavender flowers that grow in the front yard, and his warmth felt like home to you. You grasped onto him and he softly whispered, “It’s okay. You are already doing your utmost best, and you are already so much more than you think you are.” 

He pulls away slightly to gently cup your cheek and he feels you lean into his touch. He wipes away a tear that rolls down your face and he continues, “You have accomplished feats that no others could. You have gone places that some could only dream of. But you must remember that you are not perfect, and you do not have to be. I and so many others will remain by your side and support you, encourage you, and help you when you need us. You do not have to face everything alone.”

He leaned forward to rest his forehead against yours, gently nuzzling your nose with his and he smiled, “I hope you know that we all adore you, [Name]. Last night… seeing you injured had brought forth my overprotectiveness, and I apologize if I had been too harsh when trying to convey my feelings about the situation.”

“You were in the right though.. I was being reckless,” you sighed and pulled away a bit before wrapping your arms around G’raha tightly. He was surprised for a second, but quickly embraced you. He hears a stuttered breath and you tentatively asked, “Are you… are you truly not upset?” 

“No, not at all, my love,” he whispered into your ear. His tail gently touched your arm, brushing over it before dropping back down to swish languidly. Your grip on the back of his shirt tightened, and he can feel the tears soaking into his shirt, but this was perfectly fine. He’ll be here for you, through thick and thin.


End file.
